stawamus chief park

We hiked to the Chief 2nd peak in Jan!! No snow.Stopped off in Squamish on the way to Pemberton and decided to hike up to see the view. Almost vertical steps to start with and then rock steps and then chain bolted into rock and ladders to assist near the top. Bit of a challenge but loved it!! Beautiful view birds eye view of Squamish and also down Howe Sound from 2nd peak.

This hike is very steep at some spots and can be a good workout if you're not used to it. We brought our dog who is a medium sized labradoodle and I had to carry him on a few spots near the top of the second peak. It limited my use of one arm to use the chains to hold onto. This would not be possible for everyone so come prepared to tie your dog up before you get to the top if you can't carry them. Very beautiful view at the top and it was a well maintained trail except for one broken stair along the way. Highly recommended!

Overrun by people itching to go for a hike but no sense of adventure to try something new. If you want Grouse Grind #2 (with a better view, admitedly) then this is for you. If you DON'T want to be in a long line of people climbing stairs for an hour (some of whom are smoking??), go elsewhere.

Hike ti straws us chief is a really good one! Not too difficult, not too easy! Absolutely fun to do!! I know for some it will be a challenge but the view on the top will pay for your hard work up there!!!The 360 degree view is absolutely beautiful!!!!! Trail is well marked!

It's my number one trail to hike. There are other hikers on the trail but if you go, go during the week when it's not busy. There are 3 peaks, the first one is a little hidden and not to busy, second peak is the most popular and the third peak is my favourite and the farthest away so it's not busy at all. When I go up there it's just me or maybe two other people at the third peak. Bring some treats for the chipmunks:) It takes me 55 minutes to the second peak and 1hr 20 minutes to the third. If you go in the mid summer, leave early because it gets Hot up there on the rocks.

The hike is somewhat intense in that it’s relentlessly uphill. Expect to be stopping frequently on the ascent, even if you’re fit. After all you’ll gain about 550 meters of elevation (the height of the CN Tower) in under 2km of trail. It’s rare to be able to accomplish such a stunning feat in a comparatively limited amount of time or effort and with such a payout in terms of view. Given the precipitous slopes, the park has gone above and beyond to give you stairs, signage and ropes/chains where needed which also means this hike is highly attainable for even casual hikers. The view is peerless and gives you the unmistakable sense of being in a high place. MY RECOMMENDATION:The chief has three peaks,First Peak or the South Summit (610 m (2,001 ft.))Second Peak or the Centre Summit (655 m (2,149 ft.))Third Peak or the North Summit (702 m (2,303 ft.))I recommend avoiding the first summit. Because it’s the closest and easiest it gets by far the most amount of traffic. Instead consider hiking to the third summit first, not only is it the highest and true summit, but its far less busy, I did this on a sunny fall Sunday morning all had the whole summit all to myself, from there continue in a loop to the second summit and descend afterwards. You’ll avoid the worst of the crowds, enjoy greater solitude and a better sense of accomplishment. As a bonus you’ll probably find it easier as you do the ascent over a more gradual slope and then do the decent on the steepest portions of the trail. *FREE MAP care of BC Government:http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/stawamus/stawamus_brochuremap.pdf

We climbed up to Second Peak and then looped back down via North Gully; it took about 3 hours. It was wet so we were grateful for the chains and ladders across the steep parts at the top. The trails were well marked so we were fine without a map.

a good hike to do during the fall. Not too many people so we didn't too long to take the chains/ladder/very narrow ways. A great view on Mount Garibaldi and on Howe Sound. + with a good rythm, it's a good work out!

Great work out. You can push hard and really get a great work out climbing the chief. Technically very simple, mainly steps, stairs and paths with exposed roots and rocks, but a challenge none-the-less. A few choke points near the top that slow progress on busy days. And at these points there are chains attached to the rock to help pull yourself up. Most reasonably fit people can do this climb. But if you have a medical conditon or are really out of shape, consult with your physician first!At the top you are rewarded with great views of Squamish and Howe Sound. A lot of fun.

Good trails with a variety of terrain. Stairs, dirt trails, ladders and chains await you. Knees beware.

Skip the grouse grind and come to Squamish. There is more here to do than can be done in a lifetime and the Chief should be your first stop. Try to tackle all three peaks if they are accessible if you want full street cred. Also, watch out for all the little side paths and hanging ropes since a lot of them lead to top-out areas for climbs up the face and other areas. These can make for cool look out points but just be careful, it can be easy to misjudge and get hurt. Otherwise, awesome spot. I strongly recommend cutting cross and doing Upper Shannon falls instead of going back down. Take a quick plunge in the ice cold water to refresh and cool down. You've hopefully earned it.

We are quite used to walking and have walked to reasonably challenging heights in Norway through the years but this was a whole different ballgame. There are three peak trails to choose from and we had already decided against the most challenging Third Peak so we headed off on the trail for the First and Second Peak. After walking quite some way up the trail, you can either take the easier First Peak or give yourself a bit of a challenge and take the Second Peak trail. The entire trail is really well done and we began about 2pm so there were a lot of people already on their way down. Everyone showed respect and made way for each other and it was a good opportunity for me to enquire with other travellers how they felt the experience was further up the trail. The Second Peak trail is classified as a 1.7km 'steep and difficult' climb with an elevation gain of 590 metres. I made it all the way up to past the first of two lengths of chains but then I panicked as I could not see my feet and it all felt way too narrow and with nothing to catch me should I fall. This was about ten minutes before reaching the peak. So I stood there, hugging the rock, right leg shaking and refusing to move. I finally made it past and sat myself on a rock, trying to regain my composure, while my husband and two teenage boys continued the last short bit to the top. It included a very steep ascent via a metal ladder bolted into the rock and is not for the faint hearted. I am glad I stopped when I did. Our youngest son climbs like a monkey and had even climbed quite a way up the side of Shannon Falls but he admitted that this one was really difficult. I would never have made it, particularly since I was still nursing fractured ribs from a fall in a shop almost four weeks earlier. At the base there is the possibilty to camp (if the thought of visits from bears doesn't put you off!) and to that end there are two very basic toilets for communal use. I felt proud of my achievement and would recommend it to anyone with reasonable health. Just make sure you have proper shoes and water to drink. On the descent, we waded in a lovely pool of water and relaxed in the sun, recharging the batteries for the final descent.

This is the best place to watch the rock climbers in action. They look like ants up there so take some binoculars . You won.t be able to see some of them without them. There NUTS!

I've done this hike many times and I would that this is the one hike near Vancouver that you should do. It's not steep enough to ruin your time but steep enough to be challenging. The first peak is great but if you have time do the second peak as it's much more interesting and has fewer people climbing it. Unless you want to say that you've finished all 3 peaks I would skip the 3rd peak as the climb down is brutal on the knees. Hiking the first peak there are 3 solid viewpoints where you can enjoy Howe Sound and surrounding environment. It's best to start early as it's easier to find parking and don't forget to bring a light snack and plenty of water!

My 13 year old daughter and I zip up this trail usually every week. It's such a nice drive up from Vancouver to reach the trail head. Check out the climbers on wall above before heading up. 2nd peak is our favourite. It's nice and big on top so there's room to spread out. Watch out for the fearless hungry chipmunks. They're cute for awhile. Until they're crawling up your arm trying to get a bite out if your sandwich. Anyway, it's a great hike up and adventurous too, not to mention interesting and beautiful. We never tire of this hike and it's quite social too. Avoid the weekends though. It can really jam up on those days in the upper "single lane traffic only" sections. If you have time I recommend heading across from 2nd peak over to 3rd. That's a nice little jaunt.See you up there!